Rotorua whānau still tell the Salvation Army how “nice” it feels to be able to shop for their own food.
Community ministries manager Darnielle Hoods said their choice-model supermarket was filled with laughter as clients browsed its shelves, and the service was exceeding their expectations.
The supermarket, Te Kai Mākona, launched in 2024 and allowed people to choose their own groceries rather than receive a pre-packed food parcel.
Hoods said the “huge demand” for food had only grown since the supermarket opened, and it was a “big challenge” keeping the shelves stocked.
Already, half of the food collected during Fill the Bus on December 4 had been distributed to whānau in need.
“Trying to keep up with this will be an upcoming challenge we hope to have a solution for,” Hoods said.
Organised by The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM, Fill the Bus saw a bus travel around the city gathering donations collected by generous businesses, schools and other organisations in Rotorua.
It was part of the Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal, which launched on November 15 and collects food and funds for the Rotorua Salvation Army over six weeks.
A total of 7436 food and gift items were loaded on to the bus. Valued at an average of $3 each by the foodbank, the single-day haul added $22,308 of food to the supermarket.
The supermarket works on a points system, with points allocated based on household size and need.
It was the “preferred model” for all Salvation Army foodbanks around New Zealand, Hoods said.
In Rotorua, whānau were seen by the organisation’s wellbeing worker and were then assisted in the supermarket by “volunteer superstar shoppers”.
Hoods said the old food parcel system often left families with items they could not use or did not know how to cook.
By choosing their own food, whānau could prioritise what worked best for their day-to-day needs, reducing waste.
The increase in demand over the past year prompted changes to how the supermarket operates, with whānau now shopping monthly.
People used to come in weekly or even daily, which did not fit the intended purpose of the model.
Hoods said the supermarket was designed to help people top up on essential food items, rather than relying on the service as their first option.
She said while there was a pātaka kai (food pantry) available daily around lunchtime, the monthly supermarket shop was aimed at supporting whānau once other options had been exhausted.
Shopping monthly also allowed the Salvation Army team to serve more people in need.
Feedback from whānau helped guide what was purchased for the supermarket, when funds allowed this.
Beyond stocking donated goods, getting food whānau would eat was important in allowing items to move quickly off the shelves before they expired.
Hoods said overall, the feedback from supermarket users and volunteers in the past year had been overwhelmingly positive.
Many users described how meaningful it felt to be able to choose their own food, sometimes even small treats, during difficult times.
Looking ahead, Hoods said the focus was on continuing to steward donations carefully while supporting whānau.
The Rotorua Salvation Army also aimed to work alongside other local foodbanks, sharing surplus food when available and strengthening collective support across the Rotorua community.
“We don’t need to be everything to everyone.
“We are better together working alongside others who are also serving our community,” Hoods said.
The final day to donate non-perishable food at the Rotorua Lakes Council reception collection is 5pm Thursday.
Gifts of perishable and non-perishable food can be dropped off to the Salvation Army until 3pm on Monday.
Financial donations can continue to be made through Christmas via a direct deposit to the Rotorua Salvation Army Foodbank account, 02-0416-0024233-00. Use the reference, Christmas Appeal.
Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.